


Double Date

by Spideyfan62



Category: Spider-Man (Video Game 2018), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: And All The Nerves That Come With Them, Big Brother Peter Parker, First Dates, Gen, Little Brother Miles Morales, Mentor/Protégé, Post Spider-Man PS4, Supportive Mary Jane Watson, double dates, post-DLC, supportive peter parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26918761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spideyfan62/pseuds/Spideyfan62
Summary: "Hey Peter," came the usual cheerful voice of his young friend. "You busy?""A little," Peter said. In his many years of having conversations over the phone with M.J, he had learned how to handle situations like this. "Go ahead, but just know that you might have to talk at me and possibly repeat a couple details in a moment," he added, finally landing on the roof of the truck."Okay," Miles began, "so, you remember that girl that I told you I was finally going to ask out the other day?"
Relationships: Mary Jane Watson & Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales & Peter Parker, Miles Morales & Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson & Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales/Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this chapter: a runaway truck and a favor to ask.

Peter pulled his web tight, arcing his way around a corner, his target finally came into view. A couple minutes prior, he had heard chatter over the police radio about a stolen vehicle containing explosive chemicals, and now he could see it. Right away, he could see a couple issues: first, there were a couple police vehicles in pursuit, and there were already some shots being fired from the vehicle they were pursuing. Second, and even worse, was the fact that whoever was driving the truck that had been stolen was all over the road. Did these guys even know what they had stolen? Regardless, Peter knew he had to handle the situation in a delicate manner; if anything went wrong, a lot of people were instantly at risk. 

He came in closer, and of course, the bad guys started shooting at him. Dodging and weaving expertly, he narrowly avoided several bullets while maintaining his momentum towards the vehicle. As he came in closer, his mask suddenly alerted him of an incoming call from none other than Miles Morales. 

"Hey Peter," came the usual cheerful voice of his young friend. "You busy?" 

"A little," Peter said. In his many years of having conversations over the phone with M.J, he had learned how to handle situations like this. "Go ahead, but just know that you might have to talk at me and possibly repeat a couple details in a moment," he added, finally landing on the roof of the truck. 

"Okay," Miles began, "so, you remember that girl that I told you I was finally going to ask out the other day?"

"Yeah," Peter answered as he disarmed and yanked the thug in the passenger seat, webbing him to a nearby lamppost they passed by. "Why? You get too nervous again?" He had to admit, while he missed certain aspects of being a teenager, working up the courage to ask somebody out was not one of them. Realizing they were coming upon an intersection, Peter quickly dived feet first into the vehicle to kick out the driver as Miles continued. 

"No no, I actually did it this time, thank goodness," he began. He didn't sound very happy though, which concerned Peter a little, though he was a little preoccupied with digging his feet into the ground to slow the vehicle to a halt after kicking the driver out, so Miles continued: "She said she was interested, but she needed to talk to her father first."

"What did he say?" Peter practically growled as he finally brought the vehicle to a halt, having stopped it just before it could hit some teenager who was clearly far too into his music to notice what was going on in the world around him. The police pulled up onto the scene almost immediately afterward. 

"Thanks for the assist, Spider-Man," one of the officers acknowledged. "We're still pretty short staffed in the wake of everything that's happened, so we couldn't get a roadblock." 

"Good thing one of my job titles is 'Human Roadblock'," Peter quipped before giving a quick two fingered salute. "Until next time guys!" he added, firing a web and hauling himself away from the scene. 

As he'd been talking to the officers, Miles had given an answer to his question, but he'd been too caught up to hear it. "Sorry about that Miles," Peter said once he was far enough from the scene to focus back on the conversation, "you were saying?" 

"Right; by the way, what did you just do? Did you just stop the run away chemical truck in the Upper West Side?" Miles said enthusiastically. 

"Miles," Peter said, chuckling as he tried to refocus his young protege, "what did her dad say?" 

"Oh, yeah," Miles said, and now Peter could tell that he had purposefully distracted from the situation. "So, she said her dad was okay with it only if we were chaperoned and out in public. Plus, I have to...I have to meet him first." 

"That's a good thing, Miles," Peter assured him as he continued swinging across the Manhattan skyline. 

"You think so?" Miles asked.

"Sure man," Peter replied. "It means that he's invested in his daughter's life. I know it can be intimidating, but don't let it worry you too much." 

"Right," Miles said, and it sounded like there were more words on the edge of his tongue that the boy was nervous to say.

"Is there something else?" Peter prodded. 

"Well, I know you're really busy," Miles began, "between your new job at Stark Industries and, you know, saving the city...but my mom is busy the next few days, and so, I was wondering if you and Mary Jane might want to come along? You know, like a double date kind of thing?" 

"I'll have to check with her to be sure," Peter replied as he neared the Stark Industries building, his lunch break having been used up, "but I don't see why not. When are you wanting to do it?" 

"Tomorrow night," Miles replied. "Gwen likes ice skating, so I figured we could head to that new rink they built in Harlem?" 

"Nothing like giving a guy plenty of notice," Peter teased as he landed on the roof near where he had a spare change of clothes stashed. "Alright, I'll check in with M.J, and I'll let you know."

"Okay, cool!" Miles said enthusiastically. "Sorry for springing this one you. No pressure, but let me know as soon as you can please!" 

"Will do kiddo," Peter answered, chuckling at the boy's enthusiasm. He hung up and immediately dialed M.J. 

"Hey Pete," came the ever sweet and friendly voice of one Mary Jane Watson. "What's up?"

"Just double checking something: we didn't have anything special planned for tomorrow, did we?" Peter asked. 

"Nope," M.J. answered quickly. Unlike Peter's ever disorganized self, M.J. practically had her schedule memorized, which was helpful for a busy reporter like her. "Why?"

"Miles called," Peter answered. "He finally asked out that girl after all these months, and apparently her dad will only let her go on a date if they're chaperoned. He was wondering if we wanted to do a double date kind of thing. He mentioned ice skating specifically." 

"Ooh, sounds fun," M.J. replied. "I might have to work just a tad late, but yeah, I can do that." 

"Awesome," Peter replied. "I know Miles will be thrilled."

"I'll bet," M.J. said, adding: "I can't wait to meet her. I've been hoping for another girl to come into the picture to finally have someone to gang up on you boys with."

"You know, on second thought..." Peter teased. 

"Nope, too late to back out now," M.J. teased back. "Anyway, I gotta go; got a hard deadline to meet. Back to work for us both." 

"Yep," Peter agreed. "See you tonight?" 

"Always," M.J. confirmed, her voice still filled with the same happiness as when they had first gotten back together months prior. "I love you." 

"I love you too," Peter replied, smiling underneath his mask as he hung up. 

This was gonna be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was shaken from his thoughts by M.J.'s hand grabbing his. "Hey," she said softly, getting his eyes to lock onto her's. "I know what you're thinking, and I know you won't just accept this, but what happened to Yuri wasn't your fault. She made her own choices. The important thing is that you don't give up on her, that you find her. I won't stop looking either." 
> 
> "Thanks," Peter said with a sigh, squeezing his girlfriend's hand lightly. "I just miss her. I really wish you two could've met before all this happened. You guys would've gotten along great." 
> 
> "I believe it," M.J. replied. 
> 
> "What's happened with her, and Otto before that...they've reminded me that there's more than one way to lose someone," Peter said. 
> 
> "Which is why I think what you're doing with Miles is so powerful," M.J. said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: Peter and M.J. discuss recent events on the way to meet up with Miles and Gwen

Peter walked up the stairs towards the floor M.J.'s apartment was on. The plan he and Miles had ended up coming up with was for he and M.J. to meet the boy and his date at the girl's house and proceed from there. He was curious to meet the girl's father himself; ever since Miles had told him that Gwen and her father had the last name of Stacy, he had sworn that he knew that last name from somewhere, and it was beginning to bug him (no pun intended, of course) that he couldn't remember where. Honestly, maybe everything he'd been through as Spider-Man had finally driven him crazy. With all he had seen, it certainly wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

Coming to the door to M.J.'s apartment, he gave a couple knocks. 

"It's unlocked," he heard her say from inside. Peter let himself in, not at all surprised to find M.J. typing away on her laptop while sitting on the couch. 

"I suppose it should come as no surprise that when you said you would have to work late, that meant right up until the last minute," Peter teased. While she was no workaholic, Mary Jane had always been a dedicated reporter since she worked for their high school's paper. She would spend hours writing, proofing, editing, and even double and triple checking details with her sources to make sure she had all the facts straight. To Peter, is what not a matter of if, but when that M.J. would receive the much coveted Pulitzer Prize for her work. 

"Yeah, sorry about that," M.J. said, her face taking on a more intent look. "Just need to put the finishing touches on this...and done!" She saved her work on her laptop before closing it and getting up to grab her brown leather jacket. 

"Was that your follow up article on the conflict in Symkaria?" Peter asked as he held her jacket out for her. 

"No, that'll be my first thing tomorrow," M.J. replied as she slipped her arms into the sleeves of her jacket. "This one was about some potentially shady business going on at Roxxon." 

"The oil conglomerate?" Peter questioned. "What about them?" 

"Apparently, there have been whispers of some potentially illegal back deals going on in order for them to get ahead," M.J. clarified. "The article I wrote was basically calling them out on why they haven't been more transparent in a lot of their dealings over the last several years." 

"Sometimes I think you just live to make enemies," Peter said as he opened and headed out the door first. 

"Yeah, this coming from the guy who dresses up in red, white and blue spandex to take on all the gangs in the city," M.J. retorted as she closed and locked the door behind her. 

"For the record, it's not all spandex," Peter clarified. "Still, point taken."

"I promise, I'm being careful," M.J. tried to assure him. 

"I know," Peter said. While the road had been much less bumpy for him and M.J. in that department since they got back together, they still had their moments where they disagreed over how dangerous things got for her. However, Peter has basically come to accept that these stories needed to be told, and he had no right to stop her in doing that. For her part, however, M.J. had been far more willing to let him be the one to explore almost all of the more dangerous stuff and report back to her what he found, heard or saw, which at least gave her something to follow up on. This went a long way in putting Peter's mind at ease on the matter. All that wasn't to say that she didn't still occasionally ventured into dangerous situations, but they were less "sneak into armed military facilities" as they were "stuff that comes with the territory of being an investigative reporter," which, even if he didn't like, Peter had learned to be more accepting of. 

"Peter, I..." M.J. was about to say more, but Peter turned to her, stopping both of them in the middle of the hallway. 

"M.J, I trust you," he assured her, smiling his trademark Parker smile. "Besides, we agreed that overprotective boyfriend needs to learn that stubborn girlfriend can take care of herself." 

"Well, we also agreed stubborn girlfriend needed to be a little more careful about what situations she got into," M.J. reminded him. "I just want you to know that I'm still trying to work on it."

"So am I on my end," Peter replied. "If Roxxon is doing something illegal, they need to be exposed, and if there is anyone I know that is good at exposing dirt on anyone, it's you." 

"Well, I've had plenty of practice on you and Harry over the years," M.J. said as they resumed walking, heading out to the stairwell. 

"Like what?" Peter asked incredulously. 

"Oh, just stuff like how you guys would sneak extra snacks far beyond what May had allowed us to have, that time you guys tried to prank me and Liz with the water balloons, or maybe..." 

"Okay okay," Peter protested, putting a hand up to admit guilt. "You got us." 

The two of them continued talking as they walked along, eventually catching a bus that would drop them off just a few blocks from the Stacy home. Finally, Peter decided to bring up a subject he'd been nervous to ask. 

"Hey," he started, turning his body so he faced her more completely, "how's it been going with..."

"Yuri?" M.J. responded, her face turning more somber as she finished his thought. "I've actually been having trouble finding her. None of her old police contacts seem to know anything, and her apartment's even been vacated. Wherever she is, she clearly doesn't want to be found."

Peter looked off to the side, his face fallen. The more he thought about the former police captain's fall from grace, the more he felt like he should've seen it coming. If he had, maybe he...

He was shaken from his thoughts by M.J.'s hand grabbing his. "Hey," she said softly, getting his eyes to lock onto her's. "I know what you're thinking, and I know you won't just accept this, but what happened to Yuri wasn't your fault. She made her own choices. The important thing is that you don't give up on her, that you find her. I won't stop looking either." 

"Thanks," Peter said with a sigh, squeezing his girlfriend's hand lightly. "I just miss her. I really wish you two could've met before all this happened. You guys would've gotten along great." 

"I believe it," M.J. replied. 

"What's happened with her, and Otto before that...they've reminded me that there's more than one way to lose someone," Peter said. 

"Which is why I think what you're doing with Miles is so powerful," M.J. said. "He experienced a tragedy like they and many others have, but you've stepped into his life and helped guide him through this difficult time in his life." Her face beamed with a proud expression all the way around, causing Peter's stomach to suddenly feel as though several butterflies were trying to take off inside of it. Man, after all these years, how did she still do that? 

"Things have been going pretty well, so far at least," Peter conceded. "I just hope I'm enough to help him, especially now that he's been out in the field some." It had taken some time, but Peter had finally been letting Miles come out in the field with him as Spider-Man....Jr? Okay, so they were still working on the name. Anyway, after Miles had proven that most of what he had been learning was sticking during the whole Spider-Geddon thing, Peter had taken him out in the field much more frequently recently. Every time he did though, there was a part of him that was nervous. What if something happened that he couldn't prepare the kid for? 

"I don't think it's about you being enough," M.J. said, shaking him from his thoughts, "but rather you just being yourself. The only things you can use are the experiences you've had. You just have to trust that." 

"You always have been the wisest among us," Peter said, a frequent comment he and Harry had thrust upon her in high school. 

"Nah, I just read too many self-help books growing up," M.J. replied. No matter how many times she had been told that, she always seemed to have some new witty remark in return. 

It was at that moment that the bus pulled up to their destination, so Peter and M.J. got up from their seats, made their way off the bus, and started the brief walk towards the address Miles had given him. They finally came to the right house number, so the two of them walked up to the front door, where Peter offered a few strong but gentle knocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're continuing to enjoy! Please, if you have any particular thoughts, positive or negative, regarding the story so far, do not be afraid to share them on here. Both can help me grow as a writer while making sure I am putting read worthy stuff out there. 
> 
> Thank you to those who left kudos on the first chapter! 
> 
> My prayers go out to you all. Please stay as safe and healthy as you can during this difficult and tumultuous time. 
> 
> "Do not be far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help." Psalm 22


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took a couple moments, but finally a gentleman opened the door. He was a taller guy, probably beating Peter out by a few inches, and looked to be in pretty good shape despite that he was likely around forty years old. 
> 
> "Just who might you be exactly?" the man said, giving a suspicious look, and Peter suddenly found himself concerned that he was at the wrong house. 
> 
> "My name is Peter Parker," he answered, "and this is my girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. Are you George Stacy?" 
> 
> "I am," the man answered, and his body and tone both relaxed a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: Peter and Mary Jane meet George Stacy and his daughter, Gwen.

It took a couple moments, but finally a gentleman opened the door. He was a taller guy, probably beating Peter out by a few inches, and looked to be in pretty good shape despite that he was likely around forty years old. 

"Just who might you be exactly?" the man said, giving a suspicious look, and Peter suddenly found himself concerned that he was at the wrong house. 

"My name is Peter Parker," he answered, "and this is my girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. Are you George Stacy?" 

"I am," the man answered, and his body and tone both relaxed a bit. "Sorry about the little interrogation process, but since I didn't know what you two looked like, I figured it'd be better safe than sorry. Please, come on in." The man opened the door wider, and Peter allowed M.J. to enter ahead of him, with him following close behind her. After a moment, they entered the kitchen area, where Miles was playing chess with who was likely Gwen Stacy, a girl Miles' age with modest length blonde hair, just like in the picture Peter remembered his young protege showing him. 

"Hey man," Miles said, his face lighting up a bit once when he made eye contact with Peter. He stood up, and the two greeted each other, clasping their right hands together. 

"This must be Gwen," Peter said, gesturing past Miles. 

"I am," the girl answered for herself, rising and extending out her hand to Peter. "Gwen Stacy." 

"Nice to meet you," Peter said, taking and shaking her hand. "You probably figured it out already, but I'm Peter Parker, and this is my girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson." 

"It's nice to meet you both," Gwen said as she moved from Peter to shake M.J.'s hand. "Especially you Ms. Watson." Peter was a little confused at Gwen's sudden fangirling over M.J, and from the look on his girlfriend's face, so was she. 

"You'll have to excuse my daughter, Ms. Watson," the girl's father said with a light chuckle as he leaned against the counter top. "She's quite the fan of your work over at the Daily Bugle." 

M.J. seemed to take it in stride, turning to Gwen. "Well, I appreciate that!" she said. "It's nice to meet a fan." 

"I have to admit, I'm normally quite skeptical of the press," Mr. Stacy added, "but after reading your article about Jeff Davis, I was quite impressed myself." 

"You knew Jeff Davis?" Peter questioned. 

"I never had the pleasure of meeting the man in person," Mr. Stacy clarified, "but his reputation among the law enforcement community was without blemish. Frankly, it was only when I learned the boy my daughter had taken an interest in was his kid that I gave the okay on this." 

It suddenly clicked in Peter's mind where he'd heard Mr. Stacy's name before: he had heard Yuri mention a detective with the last name of Stacy before. It certainly explained the greeting he and M.J. received at the front door, and why he was so particular about who his daughter was seeing. He stopped himself from voicing this realization out loud though, because that would lead to questions that Peter probably wouldn't especially care for. 

"Also, the boy says that you can vouch for him?" Mr. Stacy added, grabbing and taking a sip of a drink that had been sitting on the counter top. 

"Yes I can," Peter answered confidently. "Miles began working over at F.E.A.S.T. in various capacities. He has displayed quite a knack for knowing what people need, and has even been helping out as a tutor at times with the younger kids there. I can assure you, sir: he's a good kid. If my aunt, May Parker, was still with us today, she'd vouch for him just the same."

"Your aunt was May Parker?" Mr. Stacy said, laughing a little. "Man, it sure is a small world."

"How did you know my aunt?" Peter asked. 

"I've pointed a homeless person or two in her direction while out on patrol a couple of times," Mr. Stacy explained, "and she ended up being the main person I would end up seeing when I checked in with people there. I have to say, from just those couple times, I could tell she was an extraordinary woman."

"Yeah," Peter replied, smiling at yet another example of the impact his one of a kind aunt had on the world around her. 

"I'm terribly sorry that she isn't with us anymore," Mr. Stacy added, straightening back up from leaning on the counter top. "The world needs more people like her in it."

"Thank you," Peter said a little more somberly than he wanted to. It had been several months now, but he still missed May terribly. She had been his center for so long, the person was practically the glue that held him together most of his life, especially after Ben died. He had nightmares from time, reliving the choice he had to make over and over again that fateful day. He knew that she was aware of the choice she had to make, and he also knew that she understood. If he could speak to her today, she would probably say she was proud of him for having the strength to let her go, but that didn't make the pain of her death any less crushing to his soul. Frankly, he probably would've fallen apart if not for both M.J. and Miles, but the two of them had become pillars that he could rely on, especially M.J, whose love for him was never more evident than in the months since then as she helped him through the process of taking care of May's finances and possessions while just being a shoulder for him to frequently cry on. 

"So, what's the plan for this evening anyway?" Mr. Stacy asked. The question wasn't directed at Peter, but it still helped to shake him from his thoughts. "I understand you guys are going ice skating at the new rink they built?" 

"That's pretty much it really," his daughter answered. "We'll probably get something to eat there, but otherwise we'll just be hanging out there for a few hours."

"Alright," her father answered. "Just be careful. Don't forget, you have that dance competition coming up in a few weeks. I don't want you getting hurt just beforehand." 

"Dad, I'll be fine," Gwen tried to assure him, her voice a mix of mild annoyance and daughterly affection. "Now, since you've done your background checks and got in your interrogation, can we go now?" she asked as she walked up to him. 

"Well, I guess so," her father said. "Just, like I said, be careful." 

"Don't worry Mr. Stacy," M.J. said, stepping up next to Peter. "We'll make sure we get her back safe, sound and injury free." 

"Alright," the man said, turning to his daughter. "Go. Have fun." 

"I will," Gwen said before giving her dad a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks!"

It didn't take long for Miles and Gwen to get ready, and before Peter knew it, they were all ready to go. However, as he was about to follow the others out, Gwen's dad stopped him for a moment. 

"Peter," the man said, "I hope you realize how much trust I'm putting in you right now. Gwen...she's all I have left. I'm sure I seem like I'm freaking out over nothing, but in this city you just never know. Please, watch out for her?" 

"You have my word," Peter replied, offering his hand to shake on the matter. The man took it, and his face seemed to relax some as they shook hands. Peter then turned to catch up to the others, Mr. Stacy closing the door behind them. 

They were on their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope your enjoying this little lighthearted romp. There will be some mild angst coming up, but nothing too serious that can't be easily resolved, so don't worry. Also, I feel like this story will need another chapter, so now it's looking like six total. 
> 
> My prayers go out for you all. Stay safe and healthy (physically or otherwise) during this insane time. 
> 
> "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25: 31-46


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You'll have to excuse my father," Gwen said as they walked towards the bus stop. "Sometimes I'm not sure he knows how to turn off the detective in himself when it comes to who I hang out with." 
> 
> "No worries," M.J. said as she walked next to Peter along the way. "Honestly, I think it's a good thing he's that way. We do live in New York, after all." 
> 
> "True," Gwen conceded. "Regardless, thanks for doing this." 
> 
> "No problem," Peter said. "It's nice to finally meet the girl Miles has been telling me so much about." 
> 
> "Oh really?" Gwen replied, turning towards Miles. Peter didn't miss the blush that came over the boy's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: More is revealed about Gwen, Peter and M.J. banter on the ride to the rink, and Peter struggles to figure out why Miles seems off as the evening wears on.

"You'll have to excuse my father," Gwen said as they walked towards the bus stop. "Sometimes I'm not sure he knows how to turn off the detective in himself when it comes to who I hang out with." 

"No worries," M.J. said as she walked next to Peter along the way. "Honestly, I think it's a good thing he's that way. We do live in New York, after all." 

"True," Gwen conceded. "Regardless, thanks for doing this." 

"No problem," Peter said. "It's nice to finally meet the girl Miles has been telling me so much about." 

"Oh really?" Gwen replied, turning towards Miles. Peter didn't miss the blush that came over the boy's face. 

"Oh don't worry, all good things," Peter assured her. "For instance, I think he mentioned that you're in a band?"

"Sort of," Gwen replied as they finally came to the bus stop. "We're still putting it together. We haven't even come up with a name yet." 

"Do you sing or play an instrument?" M.J. asked. "Or both?" 

"I'm a drummer," Gwen answered. "Trust me, you do NOT want to hear me sing!" 

"Miles, are you going to try and join up with this band?" Peter asked. 

"Oh no," Miles replied, waving his hands in front of himself. "Even if I could play an instrument well, Gwen's made it clear that this is an all girls band. No boys allowed, apparently." 

"Well, whenever you guys figure it all out, you'll have to let us know," M.J. said to Gwen. "I think it'd be fun to hear you guys play."

Gwen suddenly looked just as star struck as she did upon first meeting M.J. Once again, it was clear the young girl clearly looked up to her, and Peter couldn't think of a better recipient of the young woman's admiration.

"Uh...yeah, sure!" she finally stammered out. "Maybe put in a good word at the Bugle too?" she added hopefully. 

M.J. let out a small laugh in response. "I'll see what I can do," she replied. 

The bus then arrived, and everybody stepped on. Peter and M.J. grabbed seats in the section just behind Miles and Gwen, and soon, they were on their way. As opposed to the walk to the bus, Peter and M.J. just let Miles and Gwen talk to each other for most of the ride. 

"Gwen seems to really look up to you," Peter whispered into M.J.'s ear. 

"Yeah, I've never met such a huge fan before," M.J. admitted quietly. "It's...kind of strange, but in a good way." 

"Doesn't surprise me at all," Peter said, smiling proudly at his girlfriend. M.J. shot him a look in return. 

"You're supposed to think that, so it doesn't carry as much weight when you say it," M.J. replied, adding a playful wink just for good measure. 

"Hey now, I've thought that since long before I was your boyfriend," Peter defended. 

"You were still my best friend," M.J. retorted. "Similar rules apply." 

Peter shook his head as he looked away, partially rolling his eyes as well. "I just can't win with you, can I?" he said. 

"You're just now figuring that out?" M.J. asked, sarcasm oozing from her voice. "After all these years?"

"You're right," Peter said, putting his hands up and lowering his head in mock surrender. "I should know by now." 

"And yet, somehow, you'll probably still find something else to challenge me on by tomorrow," M.J. said. 

"Yeah, probably," Peter said in agreement. "I'm still your best friend after all; it's kind of my job." 

\---

Before too long, they arrived at their stop, and it was just a two block walk to the new rink. They walked in and got their skates; Peter was actually able to be the one to buy them for both himself and M.J. for a change. His new job at Stark Industries still wasn't the best paid one out there, but it was still an improvement to what he was used to. He just hoped that his other "job" wouldn't cost him this one too. 

"So," Gwen spoke up as they were all putting on their skates, "Miles has mentioned helping out at F.E.A.S.T, but hasn't been too keen on the details. Peter, maybe you can shed some light on what he actually does? He just says he 'helps out' from time to time." 

"Sounds just like Miles," Peter said, smiling a proud smile at the humility his young friend continued to demonstrate. "He does a little bit of everything really. Sometimes he'll be doing something simple, like refilling everyone's coffee, but he also has helped reprogram our computer systems to be more efficient and keep all the tech in the place running smoothly." 

Gwen looked over at Miles. "Why wouldn't you talk about stuff like that? It's so cool!" 

Miles blushed a little. "It's nothing, really," he said bashfully. 

"Nothing?" Peter questioned. "I don't even know how much money you've probably saved us when it comes to calling in someone for tech repairs."

"See?" Gwen said, playfully hitting Miles' arm with her hand. She then turned back to Peter and Mary Jane. "My band and I are hoping that, once we get up and running, we can do some charity performances to help F.E.A.S.T. out, maybe even play on the grounds! That'd be fun, right?" she added as she turned back to Miles. 

"Yeah, absolutely," Miles said. Despite the boy's smile, something about his response bothered Peter. It wasn't that the kid's answer was a lie, but there seemed to be something hiding behind Miles's words that he just couldn't figure out. 

From there, they finally got out onto the rink, and he and M.J. once again gave space to the younger couple in order to let them enjoy their time. As Peter observed them from time to time, he continued to feel that there was something off with Miles. The kid looked like he was having a good time for the most part, but every once in a while, something would shift in his body language. It was usually very subtle, but it was clear something was bothering him. 

"Okay, I can't be the only who's noticing something seems off with Miles," M.J. said as she came alongside Peter. "He doesn't seem like his usual chipper self." 

"Yeah, I've noticed it too," Peter replied as the two of them settled into a rhythm, gliding across the ice together. "It took months for him to work up the courage to finally ask her out, so I can't figure out what could possibly be going on, unless there's something I don't know about." 

"I've noticed Gwen looks a little discouraged too sometimes," M.J. added. "Maybe one of them said something that the other misunderstood or something?" 

"Whatever the case, I hope they can get it figured out," Peter said. "If Gwen's father were to even remotely get the impression Gwen wasn't happy after tonight, I'm not sure Miles would get another chance." 

\---

They all continued skating for a while before taking a break to grab something to eat. Peter was about to take the first bite of his burger when he suddenly felt a buzz from his phone. He took his out of his pocket and looked at it, keeping it underneath the table to make sure Gwen couldn't see it. Sure enough it was an alert of a major drug deal that had been called in to the police that was happening out near the docks. 

"Everything okay?" Miles asked, and Peter could tell when he looked in his protege's eyes that he'd picked up on what was happening. 

"Yeah man, I'm just feeling a little queasy all of a sudden," Peter lied. For years, illness had been his go-to excuse, largely because he used to get sick fairly often before the spider bite. "Excuse me." 

"You alright man?" Miles asked as Peter got up from the table. "You need some help?" 

"I appreciate that," Peter said, hunching over and clutching his stomach as he feigned illness, "but there's no need." He then moved as quickly as a queasy feeling man headed toward the bathroom was supposed to move. Once he was out of their sights, he straightened up and hurried toward the exit. Ducking into an alley, Peter quickly removed his street clothes, revealing his Spider-Man costume underneath. He slipped on his mask and was about to fire a web when he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned around to see none other than Miles himself, who was struggling to get out of his street clothes. 

"Hold up man," Miles said as he hopped along, finally yanking his shoe off. "I'm coming too." 

"What are you doing?" Peter asked, probably a little more harshly than he intended. "It's just a routine drug deal. I got this!" 

"You never know," Miles said as he finally got the rest of his clothes off to reveal the red and black suit he was still fully breaking in. "You might need some back up. Like you said, you never know in this city!" 

"Miles, get back in there," Peter said. "I'll handle it." He then turned and fired a web, yanking himself up into the air and away from the alley. To be honest, he was a little frustrated with Miles right now. While he was proud that his protege had such a strong sense of responsibility and always had a desire to help, he really wanted the boy to see that there wasn't a need for it this time. Peter had learned never to go into a situation as Spider-Man fully knowing what to expect, but it was more than likely going to be a situation he could handle fairly easily. He wasn't sure why Miles had been so insistent on coming. 

"Hey man, hold up!" 

Speaking of which...

Peter released his web, dropping down onto a nearby rooftop. A couple seconds later, Miles almost crashed onto the roof due to being in such a hurry to catch up. 

"Miles, I don't have time for this," Peter said, purposefully softening his tone a little from earlier. Ben had never been one to scold, a trait Peter had always sought to emulate. "What's really going on?"

"I just...I just needed to talk to you, and this seemed like it might be the best opportunity without it looking weird or suspicious, you know?" Miles replied. 

Peter sighed. "Alright. We handle the deal first, then you can tell me what's on your mind." 

"Okay, sounds good," Miles said in agreement. 

Peter then turned and fired a web again. He still didn't know why Miles would willingly abandon his date when he clearly had the situation covered, but maybe this would finally allow him the opportunity to learn what was up with his young friend today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally feel like this little story is getting somewhere! Hope you all are enjoying it! 
> 
> Once more, my prayers go out to each of you. I hope you all stay safe and healthy out there. 
> 
> "And who knows but that you have come into your royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:9-17


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Alright, it looks pretty simple," Peter said. "Most of the men that are here are right at the center of the deal, with three others guarding the east, west, and south."
> 
> "Sounds easy enough," Miles said, his excitement making him breathe heavier. 
> 
> "You confident in that new ability of yours to turn invisible?" Peter asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: Peter and Miles take out some bad guys and have a heart to heart.

In a few minutes, the two Spider-Men arrived at the shipping yard on the docks, landing on a large crate, with Miles landing next to him seconds later. 

"Alright, so what do we got?" Miles asked eagerly. Even though he had been out in the field some already, his enthusiasm hadn't dwindled.

Peter tapped the right side of his mask, focusing the system inside to assess the situation. As he looked around, his lenses showed him the data: two representing the buyers and sellers, respectively, with four men guarding the immediate area, plus three others stationed further out individually at ground level. 

"Alright, it looks pretty simple," Peter said. "Most of the men that are here are right at the center of the deal, with three others guarding the east, west, and south."

"Sounds easy enough," Miles said, his excitement making him breathe heavier. 

"You confident in that new ability of yours to turn invisible?" Peter asked. 

"Yeah," Miles affirmed. "I can pretty much do it on command now, finally." 

"Okay," Peter said, turning his attention back to the deal taking place below them. "I'll handle these guys here. You sneak your way to the others and take them out silently." 

"Got it," Miles said. "The guy guarding the west is closest, so I'll start with him." As his protege moved out, Peter called out in a loud whisper. 

"Oh, and Miles," he said, "Try not to narrate out loud about how your sneaking up on them this time. We don't want a repeat of the incident that happened last week where one of them overheard you and called in reinforcements." 

"Oh, yeah, for sure," Miles said, his embarrassment evident in his words. Their outing from last Saturday was clearly still fresh in Miles' mind as well like it was in Peter's: the two of them split up to take down a weapons deal. All seemed to be going well, until suddenly the area was flooded with men from SilverMane's crime family. Fortunately, the two were able to handle the situation, but Miles later confessed that one of the guys probably overheard him as he was narrating about how he was quietly approaching the guy. Peter was confident that the young man had learned from his mistake and would be much more aware of his actions this time. 

Turning his attention down below, Peter noticed the transaction below was nearly complete, so he figured it was time to introduce himself. Leaping into the air, he picked out the first guy he wanted to take out and, with a precision, fired a web right next to that individual. Launching himself downward, he slammed down upon the man before he had even fully turned around to see what was coming, knocking him unconscious. 

"Look guys, I know allergies are bad this time of year," Peter said as he webbed a couple guns away from their holders, "but there are plenty of prescriptions that aren't on the black market!" Moving with precision and purpose, he quickly took out the two men he had disarmed with a flurry of punches and kicks. A couple of larger, burlier guys came after him next with nothing but their fists. 

"I'm gonna squash you!" one of them cried out as they charged towards him. 

"Yeah yeah, heard it before," Peter replied. He met the first of his attackers head on, stunning the man with a quick blow to the head before somersaulting over him. Locking his legs under the man's armpits, he flipped backwards, sending the man crashing into the ground behind him and out like a light. He then moved onto the next man, kicking him against a wall before firing a couple impact webs, pinning him to the structure. A couple others tried to shoot at him from a distance, but thanks to his trusty spider-sense, he dodged their shots with ease before quickly taking them down as well.

"Let's get out of here!" he heard the last remaining guys call out. He turned to see them sprinting towards a car. Leaping ahead of them, he landed on the top of the car as they all came to a halt, staring at him. 

"Sorry kids, but I'm afraid you're not gonna be able to get out of that appointment," Peter teased. Before even one of the men could draw a weapon, he had already fired webs onto all of them. He then leapt up from the car and onto a nearby light post, hoisting them men into the air with them. Sticking the web to the top of the light, Peter then added a couple more webs for further reinforcement, sticking them more tightly to the post. While his webs were much stronger than they could break out of by brute force alone, he wasn't about to give one of them a chance to cut it with a knife. 

Peter then went back over to the evidence itself, gathering it together for easy pick up on the part of the police. Almost as soon as he was done, Miles came onto the scene, landing next to him. 

"Any problems?" Peter asked. 

"Nope, easy peasy," Miles said proudly. 

"No reinforcements coming this time?" Peter asked, crossing his arms and giving his protege a skeptical look as his mask lenses narrowed. 

"Look man," Miles said, probably starting to apologize for like the hundredth time for what happened.

"I'm just messing with you man," Peter said, uncrossing his arms to hold his hands up as he shook his head. They heard police sirens, so they took it as their cue to leave. However, Peter knew the two of them still had a conversation that needed to happen, so he took an opportunity to drop onto an isolated rooftop, with Miles dropping next to him. 

"What did we stop for?" Miles said. "I thought we needed to make it back?" 

"You said there was something you wanted to talk about," Peter replied. 

"Yeah, about that..." Miles said hesitantly, "I've been thinking about what I was gonna say, and it's stupid, so let's just get back, alright?"

"Is it always gonna be this way with you kiddo?" Peter questioned. Miles was mostly a pretty open young man, but when he had something he was hesitant to talk about, the kid held onto it like a lifeline. 

"It's dumb, okay, so can we please go back?" Miles said, practically pleading at this point. 

"Look man," Peter said, taking a step closer to his young friend, "I've noticed that you've been a little distant at times tonight, like something's been going on inside your head, and you haven't even talked to her about what you do at F.E.A.S.T? You love working there! If something's wrong between you and Gwen..."

"Nothing's wrong," Miles answered. "That's exactly the problem."

Peter's eye lenses narrowed, mirroring the confused his expression his face was taking. "Okay, now I'm really lost," Peter said. 

"It's just...man, she's just so out of my league man," Miles let out. "She's a contest winning dancer, she's a drummer in a band, she's a natural leader...she's perfect." 

"I'm not seeing the problem," Peter replied, giving Miles a skeptical look. 

"My point is that that girl is going to do so much for the world," Miles said, pointing in the direction where the girls were back waiting on them. "The stuff I do...it just feels so small and insignificant in comparison. I guess I'm just figuring that the more she finds out about me, the more she's gonna realize she can do better. Like I said, dumb right?" 

Peter shook his head. "Actually, this sounds a lot like a conversation I had with a friend of mine before M.J. and I started dating the first time," he said. 

"Really?" Miles questioned. "I thought you guys were best friends even before that, so didn't she basically already know everything about you?" 

"Yeah, but there is still something you and I have in common when it comes to our early days with girls," Peter answered. 

"What's that?" Miles asked. 

"We seem to want to make their decisions for them," he replied. Miles tilted his head, looking a bit perplexed, so Peter continued. "You see, when I was thinking of asking Mary Jane out, I was concerned that she would say no on the grounds that she wouldn't want to date Spider-Man. After all, being his best friend is one thing, but his girlfriend? That's something else entirely." 

"So, how'd you overcome that?" Miles asked. 

"Like you, I talked to a friend," Peter said. "While I didn't share a lot of details, Harry could still tell what I meant overall, and he told me that it was a greater wrong of me to not give her the choice to find out for herself. And you know what? It turned out she could not only handle it, but she pushed me to become more than I ever thought possible. It wasn't always easy, and it still isn't, but if I had never given her the chance to choose for herself, I would never have known how great things between us could be. Miles, at the end of the day, we can worry about how the people we care about will think and react to certain things, but we owe it to them to be the ones to make that choice. It's not something that we can do for them." 

Miles looked away for a moment, clearly pondering Peter's words. After a moment, Peter spoke up again. 

"Look man," he said, putting a hand on his protege's shoulder, "I know you've wanted this for a long time. I can tell that she wants to get to know you, so why don't you give her the chance to? Who knows, she just might surprise you." 

"Okay, you're right," Miles said. 

"Come on man, let's head back," Peter said before firing a web line and launching himself into the evening sky, with his protege close behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think we're going to need another additional chapter. Hope you all are liking this one! 
> 
> My prayers continue to go out for you guys! Stay safe and healthy! 
> 
> "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation..." Philippians 4: 4-7


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm really sorry about this," M.J. said. "I know it's not exactly what you were looking forward to. It certainly wasn't for me." 
> 
> "It's not that," Gwen said, looking down at the empty drink she was fiddling with in her hands. 
> 
> "What is it then?" M.J. asked instinctively before catching herself. "Sorry; sometimes it's hard to turn the reporter in me off. If you want to talk woman to woman though, I just want you to know I'm willing to listen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: M.J. and Gwen have a ladies heart to heart, and Miles tries to salvage the evening.

After the boys had left, M.J. decided to take it upon herself to get to know Gwen a little more, woman to woman. If nothing else, hopefully this would at least help a little in distracting the girl from the fact that their dates had basically abandoned them for the short term, even if the poor girl didn't fully know what was going on. M.J. had caught a glance at Peter's crime alert app on his phone before he and Miles took off, but even if she hadn't, she would've known what it was really all about. Ever since the spider bite, Peter had been the model of perfect health. It had actually been her idea to use illness as a frequent excuse after he got his powers, since it probably would've been true before the bite. 

For a while, her plan worked. Gwen had all kinds of questions about M.J.'s reporting adventures, so she tapped into that for as long as she could, telling story after story of her coverage of crime in the city, the devil's breath crisis and even some aspects of what she saw in Symkaria. When she caught a break in between tales, she got in a question or two about Gwen, asking about her dance and musical background. She had to admit she was impressed by the young woman's accomplishments at only 15 years old, particularly in the young woman's ability to multitask. Becoming a champion caliber dancer while also maintaining all As in school were certainly not easy tasks to juggle. 

Unfortunately, M.J. could tell that Gwen was getting concerned as more and more time passed without Peter and Miles returning. She started to turn and look in the direction of the hallway where the bathrooms were, and her face seemed to fall more and more every time. M.J. tried to keep the young woman's attention by asking more questions, but soon the gesture grew futile. 

"You think they're okay?" Gwen finally asked. 

"Oh yeah," M.J. said, trying to sound confident. "Peter's always had kind of a weak stomach, so they're probably just making sure he's good to go before coming back out." She had really hoped Peter would at least text her when they were on their way back, but so far there was nothing. Odds were likely that Peter was probably just in a hurry to get Miles back to the date, so he probably just hadn't thought about it. Still, as had happened many times over the years, her mind began to wonder about the possibility of something having happened...

No, she wasn't going to allow herself to think like that, especially not with somebody else here with her. She shook the thoughts out of her head and looked to Gwen again, and the girl looked more down than ever. 

"I'm really sorry about this," M.J. said. "I know it's not exactly what you were looking forward to. It certainly wasn't for me." 

"It's not that," Gwen said, looking down at the empty drink she was fiddling with in her hands. 

"What is it then?" M.J. asked instinctively before catching herself. "Sorry; sometimes it's hard to turn the reporter in me off. If you want to talk woman to woman though, I just want you to know I'm willing to listen." 

Gwen looked up to M.J. for a moment and smiled. "Thanks Ms. Watson," she said. 

"M.J. or Mary Jane is fine," M.J. assured her. "It's what my friends call me." 

"M.J." Gwen corrected, before looking down to her empty cup. "It's just that this evening hasn't gone how I expected." 

"What do you mean?" M.J. asked, taking her statement as an invitation to ask. 

"It's just weird," Gwen began, "Miles looked so relieved when I said yes to going out with him, but now that we're here, he seems really cagey and closed off, and I don't know why. I mean, have I said anything wrong tonight?" 

"No, at least not from what I know," M.J. answered. 

Gwen frowned again as she looked down. "I just don't understand. Most guys are eager to talk about all the cool stuff they do, but it's like pulling teeth trying to get anything out of him. It just doesn't make any sense." 

M.J. nodded. "And to think that they boys say we don't make any sense," she said jokingly, eliciting a smile and light chuckle from Gwen. 

"Tonight was all I could think about the last day or so," Gwen confessed. "Miles seemed to be that way at first too, but now...I'm not sure what's going on in his head." 

M.J. leaned forward against the table. "You know what I think?" she asked. 

"What?" Gwen asked, her eyes now locked onto M.J.'s more than ever. 

"I think he might be a little intimidated by you," M.J. replied. 

"Intimidated?" Gwen questioned, her eyes wide with confusion. "Why? Did I come across too strong or something?" 

"Well, maybe I should say less by you and more by your accomplishments," M.J. clarified. "I think he's hearing about everything you've accomplished and are looking at doing, and he feels a bit out of his league." 

Gwen buried her face in her hands. "Oh man," she moaned. "I knew I shouldn't have talked so much about everything. I just get so excited once I get going."

"Hey," M.J. said, drawing the girl's eyes back towards her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why do I feel like I've ruined everything?" Gwen questioned. 

"Because you're scared," M.J. said, "but I think Miles will come around." 

"What makes you so sure?" Gwen asked. 

"Remember how you said all most boys want to do is brag about the things they've done, accomplished, or have?" M.J. replied. "Well, finding someone as humble as Miles is is a great thing. Peter is the same way." 

"Really?" Gwen asked. 

"Oh yeah," M.J. affirmed. "His aunt and uncle's lessons about not bragging about anything definitely took. When he did talk about stuff he had done, it was less in a boastful manner and more of an enthusiastic one, like he just couldn't wait to share it with me."

"What did it take to get to that point?" Gwen asked. 

"Patience," M.J. admitted, "and a little prodding sometimes, but mostly just giving it time." 

Gwen looked down. "I've never been the best with patience," she confessed. 

"Neither was I when I was your age, and I'm still working on it," M.J. admitted. "Sometimes, the right boy in your life tests your patience in the most annoying but often the most necessary ways." 

"You seem like you know so much," Gwen said, smiling lightly as she looked toward her idol. 

"I know a thing or two cause I've seen a thing or two," M.J. replied. 

"Wow, did you really just quote that Farmer's commercial?" came a voice a bit of ahead of her. M.J. looked up to see Peter, with Miles alongside him, coming alongside their table. She managed to keep her face from fully showing the tremendous relief she felt internally at knowing they were okay.

"Hey, you're not the only one who knows how to quote random things," M.J. retorted, before she remembered to ask the obvious question. "Feeling better?" 

"Yeah, I think I'll make it," Peter said. "I'll spare you ladies any further details though." 

"Thanks for that," M.J. said. She then noticed Peter look towards Miles and the two of them exchanged subtle nods. 

"M.J, you want to grab anything else to eat?" he asked. 

"Sure," M.J. answered, picking up on the fact that the two boys had clearly had a conversation while busting some random crime. She got up from her seat and came up next to Peter as they headed toward the concession area. 

"What was that about?" M.J. asked him once they were out of earshot. 

"Oh, let's just say that I'm hopeful this double date will turn around here soon," he replied. 

\---

Miles took a seat across from Gwen. A sudden nervousness came when he looked at her; something in her eyes seemed to almost be pleading with him. He looked down at the table as he folded his hands together on it. When he and Peter had got back, he had said he wanted a moment alone with her in order to apologize and hopefully straighten this mess of a date out, but now that that moment had arrived, his resolve began to wane. He took a breath and looked back up at her. 

"Gwen, I need to apologize to you," he said.

"For what?" she asked. She didn't look confused despite her question, which told him either she felt he had done something wrong or could guess what he was about to say. Trying not to dwell on which one it likely was, he pressed on. 

"I've just been really nervous tonight, and I can tell it's affected you," he said. "It's just that you're so cool, and I'm just, well, me, and..."

"Miles," she said, causing him to pause, "I said yes for a reason." 

"I know," Miles said, letting out a sigh. "It just seems the more I learned about you, the more I started to worry that, if I talked about myself at all, you might have thought you made a mistake tonight." He scratched the back of his neck nervously as he awaited a response. 

"I promise, I'm not that shallow," Gwen said. There wasn't any anger in her voice; it was more of a begging, like she was trying her best to convince him or to help him understand.

"I didn't mean it like," Miles started, then paused as he struggled to find his next words, running his hand over his head. "Gwen, it's not just what you do or accomplish, but who you are. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met, and I guess I'm just nervous that I can't measure up to that." 

Gwen then reached out, taking one of Miles's hands in her own, which sent shivers up the boys spine and caused his breath to catch in his throat. 

"It's funny, because I could say the same thing about you," she replied. 

Miles was stunned. "R-really?" he asked after a moment. 

"You're just so nice to everyone all the time, and your always willing to help out whoever needs it," she said, a smile growing on her face that he was pretty sure made his heart skip a beat or two. "I WANT to know more about that: what else you do, why you do it. You know, what makes you YOU." 

"I-I guess I never thought about it like that," Miles said, feeling more and more ridiculous at how he'd been behaving for most of the night to this point. 

"That's one thing I'm here for," she said, "to help you think about these kinds of things." She gave a playful wink, and now Miles was pretty sure his brain was short circuiting. However, one thought came to mind as he reflected on the moment. 

That thought was simply this: Peter was right; you never know when a good woman might just surprise you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost there! Hope you are enjoying this! 
> 
> Thank you to those who have left kudos, comments, subscriptions, bookmarks, etc. Your reactions and feedback are greatly appreciated! 
> 
> My prayers continue to go out for all of you. Please, stay safe and healthy, and hold close to the people you care about. 
> 
> "Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet, God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" Luke 12:22-34


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Alright, what did you say to him?" M.J. asked. 
> 
> "I don't know what you're talking about," Peter said, a tinge of sarcasm in his words. 
> 
> "Uh huh," M.J. said, drawing out the phrase to show how obvious it was that she didn't believe him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: the date night finishes, everyone says goodnight, and Peter asks M.J. something....very important.

Shortly after Miles and Gwen's little heart to heart, the two of them resumed skating again. Peter, however, was "talked out of it" by M.J, who made sure that he was keeping with his cover story of having a stomach issue. They played it up a bit, with him insisting that he was fine, then taking a step and putting a hand on his stomach immediately afterward before she guided him to some benches nearby. She stayed with him as the two of them watched the younger couple from the sidelines. Contrary to before, where there were some concerned and distant looks between them, Gwen and Miles were now all smiles and laughs, gliding along the ice seemingly without a care in the world.

"Alright, what did you say to him?" M.J. asked. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Peter said, a tinge of sarcasm in his words. 

"Uh huh," M.J. said, drawing out the phrase to show how obvious it was that she didn't believe him. 

"You know, I could ask the same of you with Gwen," Peter said, shooting his girlfriend a suspicious look. "I know Miles and I weren't gone terribly long, but you had to have said something." 

"Oh, we just had a little woman to woman talk, that's all," M.J. said, looking back out to the ice. "Look at them. They seem so happy." 

"You remember being that young and carefree?" Peter asked. "You know, before we all of a sudden had to become responsible adults. Man, what I wouldn't give to go back to those days." 

"Sometimes," M.J. replied. "But honestly, I like things how they are today." 

Peter turned back to her. "How so?" Peter replied. "It seems like the world's constantly on fire, with some new super villain either appearing or reappearing every day, not to mention all the bills we have to pay, jobs we have to maintain..." 

He suddenly found himself incapable of speaking, as her lips were suddenly pressed against his, her right hand on his cheek. They held that position for a few seconds, which seemed to end as fast as it had begun.

"Because we're together, Tiger," M.J. replied, a smile spread wide across her cheeks, "just like we're supposed to be." 

Peter smiled, his mind still not fully back to reality. M.J. tended to have that affect on him, even after all this time. Finally, he managed to form a response. 

"I guess you have a good point." 

"I usually do," she replied, offering a playful wink that caused Peter to forget where he was or what was around him. All he could see was her. She then leaned her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his right arm around her waste, pulling her close. For several minutes, they just sat there in contented silence as they watched Gwen and Miles continue to circle around the rink, a romance budding more and more by the second. 

\---

Gwen and Miles got off the bus first, followed by Peter and M.J. By now, the sun was setting, casting a beautiful glow over the area as the last rays of light stretched across the landscape. The four of them laughed and talked as they reminisced about the night as they made the short trek to Gwen's home and, before they knew it, they were there, with Mr. Stacy sitting outside waiting for them. 

"Dad..." Gwen said in a half exasperated, half endeared voice. It was clear that, while the girl could get annoyed with her father's protectiveness and worry, she still loved him all the more for it in the end. 

"What?" the man protested as he stood up. "I just got bored."

"You mean you actually DIDN'T have some project around the house to do?" Gwen asked as she approached her father. "Yeah, right." 

Clearly recognizing that he was fighting a losing battle, the man turned his attention to Peter and the others. "Thank you guys for going with them," the man said, addressing Peter and M.J. specifically. "I appreciate you all doing this." 

"No problem," Peter replied with a smile. 

"We had a lot of fun, and I know they did too," M.J. added. 

"You guys are welcome to come in for a little if you like," the man offered. 

"We appreciate that, but we probably should be getting Miles home too," Peter replied. 

"Oh c'mon Pete, do we have to?" Miles pleaded. 

"Miles, you know your mom will kill me if I don't get you back home in time," Peter said. 

"We can make it up if we just stay a few minutes," Miles argued. 

Peter took a look at his watch. They might've had just a little time to spare, but not much. 

"Alright, but only for a little while," Peter said, and the other three of them followed Mr. Stacy and Gwen into the house. As the other three proceeded into the next room, the man of the house stopped Peter just inside the door. 

"Thank you again," Mr. Stacy said to Peter as he closed the door behind them. "I appreciate you and your girlfriend giving up your evening like this." 

"No problem; I don't believe either of us viewed it as a sacrifice," Peter said. "We all had a lot of fun tonight, and I think M.J. gained a new best friend." 

The older Stacy chuckled at this. "Big surprise," he said. "Aside from her admiration of Ms. Watson, Gwen's always been good with people. She reminds me a lot of her mother that way." 

"I'm sure you must really miss her," Peter said. 

"Every day," the man replied. He then pointed into the next room, where M.J. was talking with Miles and Gwen. "Make sure you never let that one get away from you. She seems to be a real good one."

"The best," Peter replied as he looked into the room as well, his heart full. "I hit the jackpot with her, for sure." 

\---

After about 5 minutes, it was finally time to leave. 

"Alright kiddo, I think it's time we head out," Peter said. Miles gave Peter a look that practically begged for more time, but the older Spider-Man was putting his foot down this time, not yielding even a little. Miles got up from the couch, and Gwen rose with him, turning to Peter and M.J. 

"Thank you two for coming with us tonight," Gwen said. She then ran over and gave M.J. a quick hug. The girl whispered something, Peter's enhanced hearing inadvertently picking up a little "thanks for the advice" before he could stop himself. There was a brief nod between the two ladies before Gwen offered to walk them to the door. Peter and M.J. stepped out first, with Miles close behind. 

"So, see you at school on Monday?" Gwen asked, most of herself hanging out the door as Miles stood on the porch. 

"Yeah," Miles replied. "For sure." 

"Okay, Gwen said, then suddenly she burst out from behind the door and gave Miles a quick kiss on the cheek before running back inside, giving the boy one last look before closing the door. Peter smiled as his young friend turned around to reveal a huge smile and flushed cheeks. The boy walked up to the two of them slowly. 

"Hey man, you alright?" Peter asked teasingly, but Miles seemed like he was on another world. 

"Be ready Pete," M.J. said, "you might have to have your web shooters ready to pull him back before he gets too high into the clouds." 

"Huh?" Miles said, finally registering that someone around him was saying something. 

Peter let out a huff of a laugh. "Come on, Romeo," he said, taking Miles by the shoulder to lead him back down the sidewalk. "Let's get you home before you're lost to us forever. 

\---

Finally, they arrived at the Morales home in Harlem. 

"Listen, Pete," Miles said as they neared the door. "I just want to say thank you, you know, for earlier." 

"No problem," Peter said, putting a hand on Miles's shoulder. "What are big brothers for?" The two boys then performed a ritual handshake that they had recently come up with, involving all kinds of hand movements and fist bumps, before Miles said goodnight to M.J. as well and opened the door to walk into his apartment. 

"When did you guys come up with that?" M.J. asked as they turned and walked along the sidewalk. 

"Just last week actually," Peter answered. "If you're jealous, I'm sure Gwen would be more than happy to help you come up with one for just the two of you." 

"Jealous, of you boys?" M.J. teased. "Doubtful." 

"So, not impossible?" Peter countered. M.J. shot him a look in return. 

"Alright Tiger," M.J. replied, "how about you take me for a swing around the city before dropping me off at home?" 

"Whatever the lady says," Peter joked. Less than a minute later, the two of them were swinging through the Manhattan skyline. Where as many of the passengers Peter had carried as Spider-Man had been utterly terrified, or unconscious, M.J. had taken to it almost immediately. It helped that she had always been a natural thrill seeker, and for her, flying through the NYC skyline with nothing but another person's arm holding onto you seemed to fulfill that craving every time.

For a good half hour, they swung across all the major areas of the city, before taking a break and landing on a section of the Chrysler Building, taking a seat against the wall of the building, away from the ledge. 

"You know what?" Peter said after a moment of contented silence. 

"What?" M.J. asked, looking up at him. By now, he had removed his mask and set it to the side. 

"I accidentally heard Gwen thank you for some advice you gave her back there, and seeing how you were with her tonight in general...it just proves that you're going to be an amazing mom some day." 

M.J. smiled at him. "Thanks," she replied, "and like I said, you've done such a good thing for Miles, by stepping up and into his life like you have." 

"He just...he reminds me so much of me when I was his age," Peter explained. "I suffered tragedy at such a young age, and it was the people in my life who cared about me and got me through it. I just wanted to be someone like that for him. You played a huge role in that too, you know?"

"You're my best friend, Pete," she said, rubbing the back of his costume with her left hand. "I couldn't let you go through it by yourself." 

"I know, but it's not just that," Peter said. "Through everything, you've always been the one by my side, the one I could count on and..." Peter's words stuck in his mouth as one thought that dominated all others came into his mind. The truth was, he had been thinking about it for a long time now. He and M.J. had been more and more discussing their future together as less a question and more an inevitability, but would he still ruin the moment without..." 

"Peter, what is it?" M.J. asked him. 

He turned towards her. He really hoped he wouldn't regret doing it this way. 

"M.J, will you marry me?" Peter asked. When M.J. didn't respond within the first second or two, as if that was necessarily a realistic expectation in this situation, he immediately started to explain himself: "Look, I know I don't have a ring and I know I'm not doing this right by any means conventionally, but we can get the ring together, and, I don't know, it just seemed like the right..."

"Yes." 

Peter stopped speaking, his brain suddenly feeling like it was hit by a freight train with that one word. 

"Yes, Peter," M.J. spoke up again, her smile growing larger, "I'll marry you." 

Peter smiled, letting out a breath of relief that the impromptu nature of his asking her the biggest question of their lives in the least conventional manner possible hadn't completely destroyed the moment. He leaned forward, and she met him in the middle as they sealed their engagement with a kiss. 

"And for the record," M.J. said as their lips separated, "nothing about our lives is conventional, Peter." 

"Yeah, no kidding," he said, before they closed the distance once more, the sounds of the city disappearing in the bliss of the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are! Thanks to all who have subscribed or left kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc. I truly appreciate your support. Please, now that the story is finished, feel free to share thoughts about what you liked, didn't like, etc. I like to know both, so that I may grow as a writer. 
> 
> Once again, my prayers go out for you all! Stay safe and healthy in this crazy time. 
> 
> "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters." Hebrews 13:1-3

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun just writing this first chapter, so I have no doubt I'm going to the rest of it too! As of now, I'm planning on this story being just five chapters, though it could shorten or lengthen a bit depending on the needs of the plot. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it and will stick around for the rest! 
> 
> Please, stay safe and healthy my friends. My prayers go out for all of you. 
> 
> "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." Isaiah 40: 30-31


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